Jane Austen Quotes

“I may have lost my heart, but not my self-control. ”

I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.

How little of permanent happiness could belong to a couple who were only brought together because their passions were stronger than their virtue.

If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.

There are such beings in the World perhaps... Where Grace & Spirit are united to Worth, where the Manners are equal to the Heart & Understanding, but such a person may not come in your way, or if he does, he may not be the eldest son of a Man of Fortune, the Brother of your particular friend & belonging to your own Country.

"There is safety in reserve, but no attraction. One cannot love a reserved person."
"Not till the reserve ceases towards one's self; and then the attraction may be the greater."

Her spirits wanted the solitude and silence which only numbers could give.

Let other pens dwell in guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can.

It is a hard thing for a woman to stand against the flattering ways of a man, when he is bent upon pleasing her.

The ladies here probably exchanged looks which meant, "Men never know when things are dirty or not;" and the gentlemen perhaps thought each to himself, "Women will have their little nonsense and needless cares."

One way or another, passion makes fools of us all.

Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.

“She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older: the natural sequel of an unnatural beginning.”

To you I shall say, as I have often said before, Do not be in a hurry, the right man will come at last...

At first sight, his address is certainly not striking; and his person can hardly be called handsome, till the expression of his eyes, which are uncommonly good, and the general sweetness of his countenance, is perceived.

I have frequently detected myself in such kind of mistakes... in a total misapprehension of character at some point or other: fancying people so much more gay or grave, or ingenious or stupid than they really are, and I can hardly tell why, or in what the deception originated. Sometimes one is guided by what other people say of them, without giving oneself time to deliberate and judge.

For many years of her life she had had two sons; but the crime and annihilation of Edward a few weeks ago, had robbed her of one; the similar annihilation of Robert had left her for a fortnight without any; and now, by the resurrection of Edward, she had one again.

Elinor looked at him with greater astonishment than ever. She began to think that he must be in liquor.

He was not an ill-disposed young man, unless to be rather cold hearted, and rather selfish, is to be ill-disposed...

I am excessively fond of a cottage; there is always so much comfort, so much elegance about them. And I protest, if I had any money to spare, I should buy a little land and build one myself, within a short distance of London, where I might drive myself down at any time, and collect a few friends about me and be happy. I advise everybody who is going to build, to build a cottage.